IFR publishes latest analysis of Danish investors

Women investors continue to take a more cautious approach, according to latest research by the Federation of Danish Investment Associations (InvesteringsForeningsRådet or IFR).

According to the IFR’s latest market research there were 820,000 retail fund investors in Denmark – defined as ‘members’ of that country’s investment associations – equivalent to about 15% of the population.

The number of members fell by about 20,000 through 2010, the IFR states, also highlighting other demographic factors driving the breakdown of the typical “Mr and Mrs Denmark” investor.

One in four active members are aged 60-69. Men account for 54% of investors, but account for 59% of ownership in the so-called certificates of investment that are traded on the Nasdaq OMX Copenhagen exchange.

Women investors are more cautious, the IFR research reveals, tending to prefer bonds when they invest; equity investments account for 31% of women’s investments, compared to 43% for men’s.

Men are also more likely to trade holdings; in 2010 they accounted for two thirds of trades.

The average investor has some DKK350,000 invested, a sum that has jumped by DKK100,000 in ten years, in part because of good returns from equities, IFR says.

The Danish market is marked out by trading in Copenhagen’s stock exchange (Nasdaq OMX Copenhagen) of certificates in funds or other collective investments. At the end of February 2007, the market had more than 400 listed sub-funds distributed on about 30 investment associations.